Wedding Dresses Etiquette and Advice
Our etiquette experts answer all of your fashion-related questions.
Q: I'm planning a summer wedding. Is it OK for my bridesmaids to wear black dresses?
Q: I would like each of my bridesmaids to wear a different color, but I don't want them to clash. How can I make this work? What should I do about flowers? The groomsmen?
Q: What should my junior bridesmaid wear?
Q: My mom wants to wear a long dress to my wedding. At what time of day is this appropriate? Can the gown have beading?
Q: Can the mother of the groom wear a pantsuit for the wedding?
Q: I want my wedding dress to be a color other than white. My mother, a traditionalist, is having a fit about this. She's footing the bill, so how can I make her understand that times have changed?
Q: Should the color of my bridesmaids' dresses be season-appropriate?
Q: Can the mothers of the bride and groom wear the same color?
Q: I would love to wear a cathedral-length veil for my wedding, but does it really have to be carried by pages? Can't I simply let it trail behind me?
Q: Is satin too heavy a fabric for a summer wedding? I'm getting married in June.
Q: I'm 55 years old and will be getting married for the second time. What type of wedding gown can I wear without looking like a woman trying to recapture her youth?
Q: Can a girl who's a 36D wear a strapless gown? I've always loved the look.
Q: I want to wear a wedding dress with a train. Do I have to choose a ball gown or is there another option?
Q: White isn't a good color for my complexion. Is there anything else I can wear and still look like a bride?
Q: I really want my wedding to be a dressy affair. But I'm afraid if I insist on black-tie, some people won't come.
Q: I'm a college student who's going to a semiformal afternoon wedding in October. What do I wear?
Q: I'm getting married in the fall. What type of gown should I wear?
Q: My fiancé and I are getting married in a grand old castle. What dress style should I wear?
Q: What are some flattering fashions for mom?
Q: The salon where I bought my gown charges a fortune for alterations. My local tailor is pretty good and a lot cheaper. Can I bring my dress to him?
Q: My fiancé's mom says she's wearing a white dress to the wedding. I thought I was the only one who gets to wear white! Who's right?
Q: My FMIL's dress is fancier than mine. Though the wedding is on the beach, she picked a beaded gown! How do I ask her to return it and get something less flashy?
Q: Is there any tactful way to bypass my mother and take my fiancé's mom shopping with me for my dress? My future MIL always wears amazing clothes and looks put-together, but my mother is totally oblivious to fashion and wouldn't be much help.
Q: My mother has always dreamed I'd wear her wedding dress. But she got married in 1976, so the gown has a high neck and a lacy ruffle, and I want something simple and strapless. She thinks we can alter it to make it more modern. Help!
Q: My MOH told me her dress should be different from the bridesmaids' dresses so that shell stand out. I never heard of this before, and I want all the girls in the same dress. What can I do to make her happy without making her look completely different from everyone else?
Q: In order to make things easier for my bridesmaids, I told them they could wear any dress they wanted, as long as it was lilac. Now I'm having second thoughts—will it look too much like a hodgepodge?
Q: I want to wear one gown for the ceremony and another for the reception. Which one should I spend more money on?
Q: One of my bridesmaids is on the heavy side and is unhappy with the dress I've picked out. She wants to back out of the wedding party. What's the best way to handle this?
